Political nail in the coffin

The performance that cost Harris the US election

Kamala Harris with "The View" presenter Whoopi Goldberg

(Bild: AP ( via APA) Austria Presse Agentur/Jacquelyn Martin)

Donald Trump's political comeback is remarkable. His triumph is a hard-hitting reckoning with the other side. The moment of Kamala Harris' defeat can be defined quite precisely. A look back.

When Trump announced his re-candidacy two years ago, he stood alone on the stage. The Capitol storm isolated him politically. In the 2022 midterm elections, Republicans celebrated successes, distancing themselves from him and his brute rhetoric. The Trump brand faded.

What began as a solo effort ended with a landslide victory against Democrat Kamala Harris. At his victory party in Palm Beach, Florida, the former outcast could hardly save himself from encouragement. "Isn't that crazy?", even Trump recognized a certain irony.

The demagogue is once again socially acceptable and shared his newfound power with his family, campaign strategists and conservative pop culture phenomena. Even a golf pro wanted to bask in his success. How could this happen?

In demand again: Donald Trump

(Bild: AP ( via APA) Austria Presse Agentur/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

The USA traditionally has a soft spot for outsiders. But this election was decided away from the cult of personality and ideological trench warfare. Americans are mainly concerned with what's in their wallets at the end of the day - and these have recently been (over)strained.

Rampant inflation, triggered by the pandemic, environmental disasters and global conflicts, hit the middle class particularly hard. Food prices drifted to absurd heights while the economy boomed. In the USA, this phenomenon is known as the "vibecession". The feeling of becoming poorer, even though all the key figures speak against it.

According to a Gallup poll from August, 63 percent of "Yanks" think that their economic situation has worsened. The direction is no longer right for a majority of people. Trump's victory is a hard-hitting reckoning with the Biden-Harris government. Political observers are certain that his impressive return was possible because the Democrats failed to bring unity and prosperity as promised.

An appearance as a political nail in the coffin
People's financial worries were played down until the very end. The moment of the final Harris defeat can therefore be defined quite precisely. At the beginning of October, the Democrat was asked on the talk show "The View" whether she had done anything differently to President Biden over the past four years. Her answer was echoed in all the filter bubbles - something that has become rare these days.

"There's nothing that comes to mind ... and I've been involved in most of the decisions that have had an impact." A slap in the face for anyone currently struggling to make ends meet. All the problems voters have had with her campaign can be projected onto this statement. The message is devastating.

Republicans took advantage of Harris' lapse
A political nail in the coffin for Harris and grist to the mill for the Republicans, who had Trump talking endlessly about bacon prices during the election campaign. "There you have it, folks," Trump campaign spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said on X. "Kamala wouldn't change anything that's happened in the last four years. If you elect her, you can expect four more years of the same thing: Inflation. Border crisis. Crime. War. Chaos. Division. Only President Trump will bring CHANGE!" The fact that increased prices were mentioned first in their list is no coincidence.

For example, Trump has announced that he will abolish taxes on tips and overtime in order to support waiters and other service staff. Economists can calculate as often as they like that his planned tariff economy is likely to push prices up even further. The feeling among Americans that life was more affordable under Trump remains. Even the request to take external factors into account will not change the price tags in the supermarkets.

The population is paying the bill
Americans expressed their frustration with their vote, putting their finances above issues such as personal virtues or democratic values. Republican strategists also use this to explain Trump's astonishing success among Latinos.

Financial worries, which always go hand in hand with a fear of losing status, pave the way for dark actors, as history has shown. Inflation is not only blurring value standards in the USA. The electorate has now given the Democrats their bill. Their price: Donald J. Trump.